Vice President Mike Pence has called on U.S. ally Saudi Arabia to “release Raif Badawi, a blogger imprisoned for reportedly insulting Islam.”
In the midst of Saudi Arabia telling the world that it is modernizing, Raif Badawi remains in jail, and in August of last year, Raif Badawi’s sister Samar — among other women’s rights activists — were rounded up and arrested for criticizing officials in Saudi Arabia. Samar was only heard from last month, when she appeared in court along with other human rights defenders. “Under Saudi Arabia’s terrorism law, the activists face 20 years in prison. Amnesty International’s Philippe Nassif said he was concerned the activists would not have a fair trial or due process, and urged the United States to take action for their release.”
Pence also stated of other jailed human rights defenders:
“The United States calls upon the governments of Eritrea, Mauritania, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to respect the freedom of conscience and let these men go.”
These countries have no conscience to begin with, nor freedoms. Mauritania is still holding black slaves, Pakistan is globally infamous for its cruel Islamic blasphemy laws, and Saudi Arabia is exporting its Wahhabi ideology to madrassas and mosques globally. No one can expect any response to Pence’s call for religious freedom in such countries. However, it will be interesting to see how Wahhabi Saudi Arabia decides to respond to Pence’s demand to release Badawi, given the Saudi-US alliance and Saudi Arabia’s boasting about becoming modernized.
“US demands Saudi Arabia release ‘critic of Islam,'” Al Jazeera, July 18, 2019:
US Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday called out ally Saudi Arabia for the suppression of religious liberties and urged it to release Raif Badawi, a blogger imprisoned for reportedly insulting Islam.
Pence’s highlighting of Badawi’s ill-treatment comes in light of US legislators accusing the Trump administration of failing to act against the kingdom’s leaders for the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In an address to the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom conference at the State Department, Pence noted the detention of religious dissidents in Eritrea, Mauritania, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia.
“All four of these men have stood strong in defence of religious liberty despite unimaginable pressure, and the American people stand with them,” Pence said.
“The United States calls upon the governments of Eritrea, Mauritania, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to respect the freedom of conscience and let these men go.”
Republican and Democratic legislators – citing evidence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s role in the Khashoggi case, and incensed over the civilian death toll from the Saudi-led air campaign in Yemen that has killed thousands – have ramped up efforts to block President Donald Trump’s arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
The CIA has determined with “medium to high confidence” the Saudi crown prince, considered the de facto ruler of the kingdom, ordered the grisly killing of Khashoggi at its Istanbul consulate last year.
1,000 lashes
Badawi, who set up the Free Saudi Liberals website, was arrested in June 2012 for offences that included cybercrime and disobeying his father – an act considered an offence in Saudi Arabia.The prosecution had demanded he be tried for apostasy, which carries the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, but a judge dismissed that charge……
Prebangian says
Islamist Omar may not like this request to interfere with Islamic law.
smoris says
This is a nice start, Mr. Vice President. Now – WHAT ABOUT TOMMY ROBINSON? This many has been repeatedly threatened with death BY THE STATE OF GREAT BRITAIN. He has been jailed for simply reading names already published by the BBC and asking, “How do you feel about the verdict?” For this the man has already spent 10 weeks in solitary confinement at huge damage to his health and safety and is now back in a high risk prison for another term for the SAME CHARGE. He has not even been convicted of a CRIME. His “offence” is categorized as “civil”. In Britain’s history, in the last 100 years, no one has been jailed for this. He may well be killed – this is the intent – in HMP Belmarsh.
SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? IGNORE THIS? BECAUSE THE WORLD IS WATCHING. IF ROBINSON DIES IN PRISON YOU WILL SHARE THE GUILT NOW THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED THE ARENA OF SPEAKING OUT FOR THOSE DENIED A VOICE.
Robinson has been deplatformed from everything – Facebook (where he had over 1 million followers), Twitter, Instagram, Yourube. He has been deliberately isolated so that his life can be snuffed out in the dark. You owe freedom of speech and press, Mr. Vice President. DO SOMETHING – SAY SOMETHING,. Robinson has called upon the United States to give voice to his cause, that of protecting young girls from horrendous abuse by rape gangs. You can do no less than give him the same consideration you have given the brave blogger. Now: ACT.
Don Ameche says
ABSOLUTELY !!!
#FreeTommyRobinson !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gail Griffin says
Grant Tommy asylum and trade the pack of 4 for Raif and his sister.
Christianblood says
(..Vice President Pence demands U.S. ally Saudi Arabia release Raif Badawi, imprisoned for insulting Islam..)
A bot tells a kettle its black!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stTMt1tLT4g
Christianblood says
(correction)
Should read: a bot calls a kettle black!
gravenimage says
It looks as though christianblood is enraged at Infidels championing freedom of speech.
Walter Sieruk says
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is responsible for many Islamic evils.
AS the Islamic kingdom of Saudi Arabia has not and will not spare any of its vast oil wealth as to use its financial resources to fund and promote the advancement of Islam by and through the jihad. By this it means both the stealth jihad and even the subtle support violent jihad.
As explained, for example in the book HOW ISLAM PLANS TO CHANGE THE WORLD by William Wagner. For on pages 109, 110. The reader is informed that “The Wall Street journal on April 15, 2003 published an article titled ‘In law Seminars, A Saudi Group Spreads Extremism.’ The article began by saying ‘In late February more than 300 young men from across Europe gathered for a weekend seminar on Islamic Law put on by Al-Waqf al-Islaami Foundation.’ The article went on to explain that the most famous graduates from the seminar were half a dozen members of the group of young men from Hamburg, Germany, who plotted the September 11, attacks. The language of the was Dutch, but ‘the message was imported from Saudi Arabia, via Saudi books and lecturers who taught a strict orthodox interpretation of Islam.’ “
Further on the very same page of 110 the information is given that “TIME MAGAZINE , in an article on Saudi Arabia: Inside the Kingdom,’ stated ‘Apart from channeling money to foundations that have assisted terrorist groups, Saudis have for years supported institutions abroad the propagate Wahhabism.’”
In addition to all this, in the book of the title of THE HISTORY OF JIHAD FROM MUHAMMAD TO ISIS, by Robert Spencer on pages 333 through 337.Mr Spencer provides valid information of the subject of “ The Saudi involvement in September 11.”
So with that Islamic regime of Saudi Arabia and its oil money support the different type of the jihad, both stealth and the violent kind, with its Islamic agenda advancement and spread , influence and infiltration of the Western nations ,this kingdom of Saudi Arabia is no friend at all of America or any other country of the West.
juleonly says
It is by no means only Saudi. And no one can reason with them because they have been assured & brainwashed by the Warlord Manual of the Qur’an, into BELIEVING this is what the all Powerful Allah Wants. They must obey or become enemy of Allah. They must not criticise. So now they say WE cannot criticise or become Enemy.
Terry Gain says
Prebangian
Obama is furious. “The future must not belong to those who slander (the prophet of) Islam.
Hugh Fitzgerald says
How about getting Congress to pass a resolution deploring the imprisonment of Raif Badawi, and his sister, and calling for their release. Who could object? Perhaps Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Ayann Pressley, and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez could, on the absurd grounds that z”why should a Muslim country be singled out when those terrible Israelis get away with murder.” Let’s put them to the test.
eduardo odraude says
From your mouth to God’s ear.
Who could object? Probably the same people who used to say “better red than dead” and argue moral equivalence between the US and the Soviets.
On the other hand, probably millions of people around the world are currently hoping to God for more such actions by Trump and Pence against Islamic totalitarianism and for such resolutions as you propose Congress make. It seems to me empowering to the free world when our VP and P publicly criticize and highlight the crushing of dissidents in the Islamic world. That may be the most efficient way to awaken people about Islam, namely if the US president keeps publicly making an issue of imprisoned or killed dissidents. Such public criticism could be the seed of an institutionalized pressure campaign comparable to the pressure campaign exerted for years against the Soviet Union, which had to hear many in the US constantly make public complaints about the USSR’s evil totalitarianism and the imprisonment of dissidents.
And oil is no longer an obstacle to confronting Saudi Arabia, since the US has become energy independent and is even a massive energy exporter now. I’d love to see economic sanctions begin against all these totalitarian states. Then ratchet the sanctions upward as quickly as politically possible.
J D S says
Hugh….We need to get tough with Islamic countries…NOW!!! Not next week, not next month…NOW!! A good start would be to warn all these countries that if they don’t releases any all prisoners who are imprisoned for any form of blasphemy and further ban any such laws, then the U.S will sever all ties with said country and that would include buying any of their product’s.
Any of this going to happen???…Of course NOT!! Why?? Too much political foolishness and not enough political Bullishness
keith says
And we could always add the Wikileaks founder to the list. Reporting crimes can get you in trouble in a lot of countries!
Ted Tyler says
I would also add Daniel Ellsberg to the list. Unfortunately reporting exactly how the US government lies to the American People is considered to be unpatriotic by many patriotic Americans.
mortimer says
It’s finally happened. Should have happened a long time ago. This noble man should be reunited with his wife and children who have received asylum in Canada.
The shrill, half-witty ‘Squad’ cares nothing for the many worldwide prisoners of conscience. They are shallow, grandstanding fools and they are followed by spontaneous, virtue-signalling pollyannas.
UNCLE VLADDI says
But then, just like he recently criticized Donald Trump as a “racist” for saying “America: Love it or leave it!” Just-in Turdeau will probably call Mike Pence a hateful racist bigot for accusing his Saudomite friends of being mean to that evil apostate Raif Badawi!
Roderick MacUalraig says
Left will call Pence racist for this. The damn nerve on Pence.
Ren says
Release Raif Badawi and let him keep on insulting islam. Insulting islam is a must.
Halal Bacon says
shitslam only exists as a means of control
eduardo odraude says
It’s an attempt to stop human development and cultural evolution, thus basically an attempt to destroy the human race. Why would humans seek to do that? Well, why is anyone self-destructive or insane? One of those questions for the ages.
But in any case, such movements have probably always existed in one or another form. Islam today is only a frightfully enduring and massive historical example.
CRUSADER says
hello, Halal Bacon ~
I smile whenever I see your moniker….
and it makes me crave for something tasty crispy.
Mike says
That is exactly what one has to know .Islam is for the low class. High class, crowned rulers ,behind closed doors can have sex with who they want, eat what they want and when , drink what pleased them , listen to pop music , dance , have many wives , ski in Switzerland , go to Las Vegas casinos etc….No problemo.
CRUSADER says
Wasn’t that Khasshogi character (RIP) party to the Muslim Brotherhood?
So…..
lorene says
the saudi so called loosening up is a lie. they could have done more and sooner if they really gave a damn. those ragheads are beyond help. Raif and his family should definitely be released; that is ludicrous to put him and any others in prison for speaking the truth. how can people be so damned dumb for so long. just ask a democrat?
eduardo odraude says
Every time Islam imprisons someone for insulting Islam, the insult is proved utterly accurate. Basically, what that tells us is that Islam is fundamentally masochistic, indeed sado-masochistic, and not in the make-believe sense of some people’s fantasy life, but literally. When there is no more room in hell, Islam will walk the earth.
Scott in PA says
Good on Pence. Now call on the UK to release Tommy Robinson!
CRUSADER says
Or Norway might obtain Tommy Robinson’s release !
Goofy says
No god worth his name needs human protection against blasphemy. Islam needs protection because it does not survive normal critical thinking.
Mike says
Robert , Scott Bennett , yesterday ,on Jason Goodman, reveals all of us about the Thursday boys tradition in Islam . Did you ever wrote an article on the subject ?
Thursday ‘s boys are boys 14 years old and less that are brought to muzzlims soldiers in duty on thursdays. Then , the soldiers are permitted to do whatever it pleased them , sexualy , with them , then they send it back to the recruiters . it is meant to release sexual tension of men away from their woman . Un troops , in Afghanistan , for one , have to watch thiis and they have nothing to say on the subject .
Mary C. says
Insulting Islam is the duty of every sane person.
BTW, Raif Badawi is very handsome! On the outside and the inside. ^_^
Charles says
LoL…The cowards in the Democratic party and the left in general call a person an Islamophobe if they criticize Sharia style justice. They criticize Mike Pence for his religious views, albeit secular politics. They cite their civil rights to criticize christianity then call anybody a “RACIST” if they criticize Islam. Yet Raif Badawi criticizes Islam and the Wahabi rules and is sentenced to 10 years prison and 1000 lashes in public flogging. The Democratic party is silent. Hillary Clinton imprisoned and silenced a film maker for being critical of Islam. The film ironically depicted the execution of Umm Qirfa, the last female ruler of the Hejaz who was executed for rejecting Islam. She was tied to camels and ripped limb from limb. Her tribe sold into slavery. As a non-religious person myself, I feel far more protected by Mike Pence than the liars on the left.
Walter Sieruk says
This shows two outstanding differences between The United States of America and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia .
Firs,t in the USA people are free to speak their minds about religion, politics , government or anything else for the matter. .By contrast the people who are the citizens of Saudi Arabia are not free to speak their minds especially about Islam.. As this above ,top, article exposes
Second, In the USA people have human rights…Human life is given value. In contrast In Saudi Arabia human are terribly lacking .Not only in not allowing freedom of speech but basic human rights to live are not in Saudi Arabia .
As in the following example …
The Islamic kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a kingdom of callous brutal misogyny of the most heinously heartless kind there is.
For only a few years ago in Saudi Arabia a girls dorm caught of fire, the girls naturally rushed out of that dorm that was on fire . In their hast to escape the flames they forgot to take and put on their face veils.
Those Islamic state police of Saudi Arabia with this totally unreasonable and heartless Islamic mindset forced all the girls back into the dorm that was on fire. Only because they didn’t have their face veils. So all those girls did a horrible painful death .This is worse than tragic and sad, this is the murderous misogyny of the Islamic kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Walter Sieruk says
The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is of course guilty of many things as not alloying freedom of speech and the different types of murderous misogyny ,as seen in Islamic “honor killings”
Furthermore, Saudi Arabia is not an innocent nation when it comes to the subject of promoting Islamic terrorism by setting up Muslim brainwashing centers in which impressionable Muslim youth are thoroughly indoctrinated into the ways of Quran based jihad violence with much killing of people who are not Muslim for the advancement of Islam. As the Quran instructs, for example 2:191., 5:33. 9:5,111,112,123 47:4,89.
One scholar, Brigitte Gabriel, who is an from the Middle East had in her book with the title of THEY MUST BE STOPPED informs her readers on page 114. “Saudi Arabia is one of the leading financial contributors to Islamic terrorism worldwide. Part of that contribution is made by funding madrasas throughout the world and the brainwashing of Muslim children with intolerant teaching towards anything non-Muslim.”
Likewise, a former Muslim, Ibn Warraq, in his book which has the title of THE ISLAM IN ISLAMIC TERRORISM on page 353 reveals that “Saudi Arabia has spent millions on Islamic propaganda and on building madrassas.”
Moreover, on the subject that there are Muslim mind control and mind programming places where Muslim males are thoroughly indoctrinated into the strong but blind and unquestioning faith in Koran with all non-watered down; hard core Islam with its militant jihad. Those places, “schools,” are called madrasas. In those Islamic mind programming centers young Muslim male are ingrain in the mindset Koranic dogma of the use of violence and killing for the advancement of Islam. As the Koran instructs. As in, for example, in 2:191. 9:5, 123. 47:4. Many of those who of such center are so much damaged that they are literally dangerous to self and others. As seen many times in jihad suicide, homicide bombing/attacks. For the Koran instructs in 9:111. “The believers fight in Allah’s Cause, they slay and are slain, they kill and are killed.”
For those mind programming places also ingrain the outlandish absurd Koranic doctrine of a sex-filled paradise with many virgins, houris, in it for the Muslim male who dies fighting for the cause of Islam in the jihad. Such a strange doctrine of a houris filled- place in found in the Koran in 44:54. 55:56. 78:31. Moreover, such Islamic mind programming centers are further explained about by the scholar Don Richardson in his book SECRETS OF THE KORAN which on pages 69,70. Informs the reader that “The world needs to be warned. At least forty million Muslim youth in the Muslim worlds’ religious schools, called madrasa, are avidly memorizing the entire Koran … These schools become breeding grounds for potential terrorists. When male students, isolated from family and friends in madrasa, reach puberty and their hormones are active, there are no girls to date. Instead, Muslim clerics easily shift to focusing the male student’s attention on Koranic verse that promises sex in heaven with dark-eyed houris. Students can only fantasize about martyrdom followed by the sexual release Muhammad promised. This is an unspeakably cruel brainwashing technique , and the Koran is its perfect guidebook.”
In short, Saudi Arabia is very guilty of promoting Islamic terrorism
jewdog says
Saudi Arabia is actually modernizing. They are now entering the ninth century, though that may be BC.
Terry Gain says
Jewdog
I disagree. Islam is pre-Judaic.
Terry Gain says
Sorry. I missed the BC. You are right.
Terry Gain says
Good for Mike Pence. An ideology which demands imprisonment for those who criticize the ideology should, on that account alone, be criticized.
gravenimage says
Vice President Pence demands U.S. ally Saudi Arabia release Raif Badawi, imprisoned for insulting Islam
……………………….
Good for him!
Erin Drake says
I have no idea why we are even allies with Shitty Arabia? There is no good reason why any first class nation would be allies with barbarians such as Islamic nations. It’s obvious they are too stupid to be allies with anyone. While the liberals whine about free stuff. UGH.
Richard Courtemanche says
It’s probably an insult yo Arabia to go through lame-duck Trudeau to expect a favor. Bravo to VP Spence for stepping in.